Another day, another new BYD. Spy shots show yet another new BYD car this time being referred to as the Song L DMi-i by Chinese media. Quite what this car is, is a mystery especially given the information about an updated Song Plus with the DM-i 5.0 powertrain that has already been declared.
The Song L name for the car appears to date back to earlier spy pictures where the Song character (宋) was clearly visible on the wheels of a more camouflaged test car. Naming of the BYD models is getting increasingly complicated and it should be pointed out the recently launched Seal 06 DM-i has no real relationship with the original Seal EV other than styling, the platforms being completely different. The problem is this new Song L DM-i doesn’t look much like the existing Song L. Instead of being a sleek looking relatively low SUV design like the original electric Song L (see specs), which launched at the end of last year, the new car looks far more like the existing Song Plus (see specs). The only real concessions to the Song L design being the concealed door handles and how the rear looks head on. At the rear it has the same lightbar design and the dual fairing rear spoiler at the top as on the original Song L.
At the front, the face is similar to the Qin L DM-i and there’s a large hexagonal grille. Currently there is no information about the size of the new car. The car uses front MacPherson and rear four-link independent suspension.
Also unknown is the positioning of the Song L DM-i with rumors claiming that it may be a replacement for the Song Plus DM-i. This however would seem unlikely as a new version of that car with the fifth generation PHEV system has only just been declared in the MIIT listings.
The new car is also reported to use the same 5th generation DM-i system which BYD recently launched. This is based around a 1.5 liter engine with 74 kW of power and 126 Nm of torque. From the information we know about the Song Plus DM-i we can get a reasonable idea of the remaining specifications of the Song L DM-i. More than likely it will use the same EHS160 motor which gives power of up to 160 kW. Equally the two battery pack capacities of 18.3 and 26.6 kWh are highly likely to be carried over. For the Song Plus DM-i these give 91 and 128 km all-electric ranges respectively and if the battery pack is indeed the same the ranges for the Song L should be very similar. This would also mean fuel consumption around 4.95 and 4.98 l/100 km respectively for the two different battery capacities.
Editor’s note:
We are really not convinced that this car will be called the Song L DM-i due to there being very limited similarity in looks between this car and the original Song L.
Source: Fast Technology
I think this is the next generation Song Plus. The previous generation may be used as a low-cost model, especially for export markets. Similar to how Nissan kept producing the B13 Sentra in Mexico and called it the Tsuru, while the newer/larger/more expensive Sentra/Syplhy was sold along side it. That strategy took Nissan to become the best selling brand in Mexico for a while.
I guess I was wrong. Song L confirmed.
BYD are a mess when it comes to all the names and models!